The Things I Do For Love
by Gray Doll
Summary: Walter Mashburn decides that the two fascinating star-crossed lovers have spent more than enough time away from each other. - Jane/Lisbon if you squint, very mild spoilers for season 6's latest episodes


**The Things I Do For Love**

"Thanks for this, Walter."

"You do realize-" Walter grunted slightly as he heaved the box into the back of the SUV, "-that if Patrick sees me helping you move, he's going to accuse me of helping you leave him alone and probably shoot me in my sleep?"

Lisbon rolled her eyes. "He won't do anything. He's passed the 'shooting people' mentality, or at least I hope so." Her expression hardened. "Other than that, I don't really give a damn what he thinks. Feel free to relay that to him if he does have a chat with you."

"Yeah, and invite him to knock my goddamn head off," Walter muttered to himself.

It was almost Christmas, and last night it had snowed. Walter had almost slipped on a chunk of ice when he had stepped out of his car and cursed loudly; it had made Teresa snicker, so he supposed it wasn't the worst thing in the world.

"Is that the last one?"

"Yeah, everything else is already on the moving truck." Lisbon had her shoulder set against the door frame, her eyes following Walter as he shut the trunk close and walked up to her, his hands in his pockets.

"So you're really going to leave this place."

"Yeah."

When he set his gaze on her, her eyes jumped away from his. She glanced back over her shoulder into the house. Since there wasn't anything left in there for her to look at, Walter supposed that she was just taking a good look before leaving for good. When she turned around, he saw that she was blinking a little faster, the way Teresa always did when she was fighting back tears.

"I should get going," she said hastily, still not looking at him.

Walter sighed. "This may seem like a really stupid question," he said as she swiftly came down the stairs fingering her keys. "Since you've already packed and ready to go... But, are you absolutely certain you _want_ to go?"

Lisbon nodded. "Walter, I... Yes." She bit down on her lip when she reached the car. "The only reason I stayed here for so long was because the FBI was up my ass. Now that this whole 'Jane's terms' thing has been taken care of, I really have no reason to stay here anymore." Her grip on the keyring tightened along with her jaw. I don't _want_ to stay here anymore. And if Jane has a problem with that, he should have thought of that before he decided to drag me into this without asking and-"

Lisbon broke off from the building tirade, voice cracking with either sadness or boiling rage. Walter suspected both.

Without thinking, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, half-expecting her to push him away. She didn't, and when he finally pulled away from their rigid hug she gave him a wobbly smile.

"Thank you," she whispered, and reached up to give him a soft peck on the cheek. "For everything."

Then she stepped into the car and started the engine – in a few seconds she was off the road, leaving Walter to stare after her.

* * *

"Patrick."

"Yes?"

Walter leaned on the bar, resting his jaw on his fist and fixed Jane with the look the latter knew he always wore when he was about to give a mild-toned and reasonable-sounding lecture after a couple of drinks with a friend. Jane shut his eyes.

"You should know, Teresa will stay at my house tonight."

Jane nodded slowly, eyes downcast. "I hope the two of you have a great time."

Walter sighed, shifting in his seat. "That's not what I meant. I'm telling you because I'm not going to be there."

The blond man looked up at him, arching his eyebrows slightly but giving no other indication that he was surprised. "It's terribly rude to leave a lady alone in your house at night."

"Of course it is," Walter agreed, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "But Teresa won't be alone."

"And who's going to be at your house with her, then?" Jane asked, sounding only half-interested in their conversation. If Walter didn't know the man any better, he'd assume he was indeed terribly indifferent to Teresa Lisbon.

He grinned. "You, of course."

This time Jane blinked, resting his palms on the bar and slowly turning around to face the other man. "I'm sorry, I think I misheard you."

"You heard me perfectly well," Walter smirked, glad to see he had managed to evoke the reaction he wanted from Jane. "Teresa is going to be at my place tonight. She will have cooked dinner, because she's determined to prove to herself that she can, and she'll be waiting with a bottle of red wine and two glasses because she thinks that's what it'll take to forget."

Jane was silent, and Walter could almost see the wheels turning in his head. "Please don't tell me it has never once crossed your mind that Teresa might want to seek comfort in other men."

Finally, the blond spoke. "She has every right to," he said calmly, averting his gaze from Walter's, who gave another sigh.

"But it's not me she wants, or any other man." He shook his head, his smile almost sad. "She's a fascinating woman, and I love spending time with her. But she deserves to be happy, and I cannot give that to her, try as I might."

"I still don't know why you're telling me all this, Walter."

He tilted his head to the side. There was really no doubt Jane understood – perhaps even better than Walter himself did. "You have only one night before she leaves the state, for good this time," he informed Jane, and the other man's eyes lit up. "You still have time. This-" he fumbled about in his jacket pockets, until he found it, "-is the key to my apartment. Don't disappoint her."

_Not again_.


End file.
